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The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) observed every year on February 6th marks an important day for the world community. It provides an opportunity to forge stronger ties and take concerted action to reinforce our commitments to eliminate this harmful practice which continues to impact the lives of millions…

This advocacy brief was developed by the United Nations Task Force on Children Deprived of Liberty, of which UNICEF is a member, and provides an overview of promising practices and lessons learned to end child immigration detention and sets out a range of policy actions needed to scale up efforts to end this form of violence.

Child malnutrition and poverty are inextricably linked and should be tackled together, including and especially in contexts facing recurrent and multiple shocks. UNICEF’s Programming Guidance “Building synergies between child nutrition and social protection to address malnutrition and poverty”(2024) aims to provide guidance to assist managers and…

At the start of 2024, we stand at a critical juncture: Geopolitical tensions are escalating, economic integration is unravelling, and multilateral cooperation is faltering. This global fragmentation threatens to undermine decades of progress made for children worldwide. The choices we make today – whether to continue on this path or whether we…

This Large Scale Fortification Guidance Note is to support governments to plan and implement LSFF programmes for the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies in children, women, and communities. Such programming should be implemented as part of a comprehensive approach to address micronutrient deficiencies, alongside other strategies such as…

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UNICEF works day in and day out, in some of the world’s toughest places, to protect children’s rights and safeguard their futures. On the ground in over 190 countries and territories, we reach more children and young people than any other international organization. Explore our nutrition programmes and initiatives., Global partnerships and initiatives, UNICEF collaborates with nutrition partners at global, regional and country levels to scale up nutrition policies, strategies and programmes that accelerate progress towards achieving the  Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals , including Goal 2: to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. As part of its convening role,…, Learn more

The Global Breastfeeding Scorecard was introduced by UNICEF and WHO as part of the Global Breastfeeding Collective . It tracks progress, increased accountability, and documents change as governments take steps to implement policies and programs to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. For 2023 the scorecard demonstrates that significant…

Nutritious diets and sustainable food systems have the potential to nourish children and nurture child and planetary wellbeing. Yet, in many parts of the world, poor diets and unsustainable food systems are driving child malnutrition, environmental degradation, and climate change. At the same time, the climate crisis is slowing, and at times…

COVAX will close 31 December 2023 having delivered nearly 2 billion doses of vaccines to 146 economies, and averted an estimated 2.7 million deaths in AMC lower-income participating economies.   COVAX’s end-to-end efforts helped lower-income economies achieve two-dose coverage of 57 per cent, compared to the global average of 67 per cent.   Low-…

Escalating conflicts, disasters, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks have combined to create unprecedented global humanitarian needs in 2024. From Haiti, to the State of Palestine and Sudan, grave violations , violence and devastated essential services are leaving millions of children at risk. Meanwhile, climate shocks, food insecurity, and…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan is home to one of the most crushing humanitarian crises in the world. After decades of conflict, Afghans have been cut…, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada, Burkina Faso. More than 3 million children in Burkina Faso require humanitarian assistance against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and massive internal displacement. Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel region, which is embroiled…, Cameroon, Cameroon. A child sips from a cup after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Children receive a nutritious meal after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Cameroon faces a complex mix of armed conflict, inter-communal violence, an influx of refugees from neighboring countries, disease outbreaks including cholera and…, Central African Republic, Central African Republic. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa, Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. Widespread violence and displacement…, Chad, Chad. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. Conflict-induced displacements, a nutrition crisis, natural disasters resulting from climate change, epidemics, poverty, and…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Intensifying violence, massive displacement, and the proximity of…, Ethiopia, Ethiopia. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region in Ethiopia. Overlapping hazards including conflict, severe drought, flooding, intercommunal violence and outbreaks of diseases have left more…, Haiti, Haiti. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie, Haiti. Political turmoil, civil unrest, increasing armed violence, crippling poverty and natural disasters: A deadly combination of…, Myanmar, Myanmar. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on 14 May 2023. Widespread conflict continues to have a devastating impact on children and their families in Myanmar. Grave child rights…, Somalia, Somalia. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. A once-in-a-century drought in 2023 was followed by El Niño-induced flooding,…, South Sudan, South Sudan. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State, South Sudan. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has faced multiple…, State of Palestine, State of Palestine. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip. Even before the escalation of violence in October 2023, children in the State of Palestine had grown up under the shadow of recurrent violence and crushing poverty. But the hostilities in…, Sudan, Sudan. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State, Sudan. An outbreak of conflict in Sudan in 2023 created one of the largest child…

Available in:  English    Lettre DG Français      Español      العربية     中文     русский From conflicts to climate change, this year provided more proof that children increasingly live in a world hostile to their rights. Yet UNICEF continued to deliver for children and young people, with a staff of over 17,000 working across more than 190…, A new year and new hope for children, by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell With the new year fast approaching, I find myself thinking a lot about the concept of hope – both the power of having it and the despair that can consume us when it is gone. Hope can drive us forward in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. It can be all that stops us from giving in to…, Reflections from youth advocates on 2023, A portrait of UNICEF Youth Advocate Yasmina Yasmina, 20, Tajikistan, The year 2023 brought numerous conflicts and crises that resulted in the disruption of education for many children, particularly girls, and it is crucial for world leaders to recognize the impact of these events on the future of these children. As we move into 2024, it is essential for leaders to work towards preventing conflicts and providing…, A portrait of UNICEF Youth Advocate Mariam Khalid Mariam, 19, Yemen, What I ask of those in authority and leaders is to make peace. Enough wars and enough tampering with children’s lives. Leaders should seriously work to make the world safer, which children do not have to leave in fear and see their dreams burning in wars...Leaders must be open and willing to learn and adapt to emerging challenges in a rapidly…, A portrait of UNICEF Youth Advocate Emmanuel Cosmas Msoka Emmanuel, 20, Tanzania, We’ve seen a number of young people engaged this year. But we can still do more in 2024. We need to engage more young people – including children – in our areas of work. International institutions and local governments need to engage more young people and develop platforms for young people to come and share their perspectives...Peace is something…, A portrait of UNICEF Youth Advocate Makhtom Abdalla Makhtom, 20, Sudan, [In 2023] I am very happy that I could convey the voices of children and young people of Sudan during such difficult times at global events like the UN General Assembly...No matter how hard it gets we should not lose faith in ourselves and a peaceful future...World leaders should not forget that we are all humans and therefore we all have equal…